Kidney Failure: What Does Oliguria Mean

2012-12-08 09:40

Oliguria is one of the significant symptoms of kidney failure in advanced stage and is diagnosed when one's urine output is less than 400 ml within 24 hours. It is common among kidney failure patients as it is closely related with healthy kidney function.

How does kidney failure cause oliguria?

Kidney failure is a medical condition in which kidneys are damaged and fail to function properly. Normally, we human have two kidneys and they locate in the two sides of our spinal column. Kidney works as a filter and while filtering blood, wastes like creatinine, urea, excessive fluid and excessive electrolytes are discharged. Wastes get out of our body as the form of urine, so the more wastes are discharged, the more urine are formed.

For people with kidney failure, their kidneys are failed to discharge wastes fully and timely, as a result of which, less urine are formed. These wastes build up in the blood and circulate with blood. For kidney failure patients, creatinine level is commonly used to indicate how many toxins there in the blood. Thereby, when creatinine level increases to a certain range, kidney failure patients are suggested to start dialysis or prepare for kidney transplant.

What does oliguria mean for kidney failure patients?

Healthy kidney function helps to produce urine, so oliguria usually indicates kidneys have been damaged seriously and there is little healthy renal function. Kidneys have function to excrete wastes, keep acid-base homeostasis, regulate osmolality, regulate blood pressure and secrete hormone. Since oliguria usually occurs when there is little kidney function. Therefore, occurrence of oliguria is usually accompanied with elevated blood pressure, electrolyte disturbance, acidosis and other abnormal symptoms.

Oliguria is of significant meaning for kidney failure patients, as urine output is usually regarded as one of the indexes that used to measure residual healthy kidney function. Generally speaking, the more urine output, the more kidney function. Therefore, once oliguria occurs, kidney failure patients should be alert about toxins in their blood and discharge them actively.